The True Story Of Rapunzel with a twist
by Punzels
Summary: How I believe the story happened, less magic and more reality. Plus an extra little twist Rapunzel's a guy Chapter 5 finally up!
1. Chapter One

Hey everyone, This is my first fanfict, so I hope you like it. All and any reviews would help. Basically I'm going to try to retell Rapunzel without, or at least with less of the magic and more reality. I'm also going to redo what I deem as some of the more ridiculous parts of the stories and totally change other parts from the classic story. Hopefully if this story goes well I'm going to keep on with the magicless stories. I may also branch off into some simpler fairy tales like Goldilocks. Hope you like it. -Punzles  
  
  
  
Chapter 1: In which we find the real reason the rapiun was stolen  
  
Thomas looked longingly out of the window of his cottage, turned slowly to look at his wife, and sighed. She was very pale and probably wouldn't survive the night without the medicine, but it simply wasn't available. The doctor had said that only syrup made from the rapiun plant could cure her. The rapiun was not only rare and expensive, but the only know source in the city was the witch's garden, who wasn't exactly known for her kind and sharing ways. Thomas turned to look out of the window again.  
  
"Nobody really knows were she came from or if she really is a witch", Thomas pondered, "maybe she's just eccentric or a little touched in the head. The way she talks though, in riddles and as if she knows what the future will bring, scares me a little. Could I risk stealing the rapiun from her garden? There's no actual proof of her having mystical powers or even really being able to tell the future. And without that rapiun my Sara will die."  
  
Sighing, Thomas grabbed a sack and went outside. Seeing that it was a cloudy night without much illumination from the moon or stars, he thanked G- d for the cover of darkness. He started climbing the wall between their properties. As soon as he reached the top of the wall, he jumped off into the witch's garden, and quickly began gathering rapiun. As soon as his sack was full, he quickly climbed back over then ran inside. He put the sack down and went over to check on his wife, she had paled to a deathly white he was gone.  
  
"Hold on Sara, I'm going to get the doctor, don't leave me now"  
  
The doctor came swiftly and prepared the syrup, thankfully not questioning Thomas about the origins of the rapiun. When the doctor finished, he gave the bottle of syrup to Thomas along with instructions to make more, in case they ran out. Sara was to take 2 TB twice a day for 3 months. Thomas thanked the doctor fervently and paid him.  
  
Slowly, but surely Sara recovered, she recovered her strength and her color. Everything seemed to be going great, until shortly before the three months were over, they ran out of syrup, and Sara relapsed. At first it wasn't so awful, then she became bed-ridden and lost much of her strength. Thomas knew it was only a matter of time before he would be sitting by his wife's deathbed again. He couldn't wait around for that to happen, he had to do something. Sighing, he paced the floor.  
  
"I got away with it once, surely I can do it again", Thomas reasoned, "or maybe because I succeed once I'll have more trouble this time. She must have noticed the missing rapiun, so it's almost certain she'll be on her guard now. The witch is almost certain to catch me, but I only need a couple more heads of rapiun. It'll be a quicker trip then last time. I'm almost certain I could be out before the witch realized I was even there."  
  
Shaking his head, Thomas made his decision and went outside. He looked up at the starry sky, no cover as darkness tonight. It was quite bright without any clouds, but what was he to do. He couldn't let his wife, just wither away into oblivion, at least not without a fight. He would save her, even if it meant facing the witch. Once over the fence Thomas began gathering the rapiun he needed.  
  
In a dark corner of the garden a pair of eyes were watching Thomas and he gathered the lettuce. As he turned to leave the pair of eyes came out of the corner.  
  
"Halt", a voice commanded, "who do you think you are that you can just barge in and steal my rapiun?"  
  
Thomas turned around slowly with fear and dread in his heart and apologies on his lips.  
  
"I'm really sorry, I normally don't steal, I mean I don't ever steal", blustered Thomas, "this is only my first, I mean my second, I really am only trying to save- "Quiet", said the witch with authority, "do you think I care about your petty excuses? I demand reimbursement for my rapiun."  
  
"Reimbursement?!", Thomas cried, "if I had that type of money I wouldn't be stealing your lettuce."  
  
"Who said anything about money", asked the witch, "I desire something much more useful then money. I desire your first-born child."  
  
"My child" replied Thomas puzzled, "what can you do with my child? And why the first born?"  
  
"That's not for you to know, but if you won't give me your child, you'll have to forfeit your life!", cackled the witch.  
  
"What can I have to loose?", Thomas pondered, "We don't even have any kids and may never if Sara doesn't recover completely. The doctor said we could never expect to have kids. This way I at least I get to keep my Sara. Moreover, if we do have a child, shouldn't we be able to have more then one?  
  
"Very well, you have yourself a deal", Thomas replied, "my first-born child for your rapiun."  
  
"The deal is done, "cried the witch, "exactly 3 months after the birth of your child, I will come to collect my payment."  
  
Then she was gone. Thomas looked around the garden, grabbed his sack, and scrambled back over to his side of the fence. He ran into his house and locked the door. Thomas gave a sigh of relief and began making the syrup. Within days, Sara was looking much better. In addition, by the end of the month the doctor was able to give her a clean bill of health. Their farm produced a bumper crop that fall and Sara had been able to catch up with her quilting, life was going great.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
And now a word from our author.  
  
You have enjoyed the fruits of my labor so certainly it isn't too much for me to ask that you review. Its really easy, just push that little button down there, go head, push. Only good can come out of it if you review. That's it, you know you want to review, you know you're just dying to push that little button. So go on, give in, let you mind soar and your fingers type. One review from you, that's all I ask. 


	2. Chapter Two

Special thanks to ADJ for being my very first reviewer, to JENNY THE CHICA for being the second, and to OUCH for being the third, I love you all. Also thanks to everyone whose review since then.  
  
  
  
_Chapter 2: In which the child is born_  
  
Sara paced anxiously inside their cottage as she thought. "I have to tell Thomas today, there can be no more putting it off. Although, maybe, I could push it off just a little more, no that just isn't possible. He always seemed nervous when I mentioned having children, could it be he doesn't want any? No, that couldn't be it, he was probably just worried that the doctor was going to be right about my ability to have kids, that must be it."  
  
She turned around as the door opened and Thomas walked in.  
  
"Hello sweetie", said Thomas, "how have you been?"  
  
"Fine, just great", She replied, "but, um, Thomas, dear? I do have something to tell you. You know we talk about having children many times, even though it didn't seem likely after my illness, right?"  
  
"Right"  
  
"Well, um, surprise! I'm pregnant."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Meanwhile in the witch's cottage, the witch paced back and forth.  
  
"What am I to do?", She worried. "If they don't have a kid how am I ever going to join the NVA, (the Nefarious Villains Association). I'll be the laughing stock of my coven, not too mention my family. I'll be the only Devilsin without a membership in over three centuries.  
  
You see this witch was quite eager to join NVA. This club specialized in only the top-notch schemes and spread their pernicious influences everywhere. If there was an earthquake, they were there. If a child went missing, they were there. If the was a great famine throughout the land, you better believe it, they were there. It was often said they took credit for things they didn't even do just to encourage trepidation in hearts of good, kind people around the world. It was like the ultimate country club for evil. Some people even said that it was they who created Lucifer, Himself. Whatever the truth may be, this witch was desperate to get in, and of course attempt murder or kidnapping of a young child was the most common way. (Hey, if you don't believe check out your other fairy tales. In Sleeping Beauty, witch tries to kill the girl; in Little Red Riding Hood, the wolf tries to eat the girl; in Hansel and Gretal, once again the witch tries to eat the kids, and so on and so forth). So when she caught the farmer stealing her rapiun, she jumped at the chance to steal the kid in hopes of admittance to the NVA. And she really didn't need to have the first-born child, it's just she didn't want to have to wait around to see if they would foolish enough have more children.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Back at the farmer's cottage, Thomas had turn into a frustrated, angry man to the bewilderment of his wife.  
  
"What's wrong dearest?", asked Sara worryingly, "I'd thought you would be happy. We have always longed for children."  
  
"Of course I want children, but I want ones we can keep.", Thomas shouted back.  
  
"Keep? Why of course we could keep them, why on earth would you believe otherwise", inquired Sara, "we certainly have enough money to support of a family know so what is the problem?"  
  
"That we can't keep the child", Thomas said in frustration, " you don't understand"  
  
"Then explain it to me"  
  
"When you were sick the doctor told me that only a syrup made from the rapiun plant could save you, so I, um", delayed Thomas, "might have stolen it from the witch's garden."  
  
"You what?!"  
  
"Well, it really wasn't such a big deal, I didn't get caught, well at least not the first time."  
  
"What do you mean at least not the first time?"  
  
"Um, when you had your relapse I might have told you something that wasn't quite true. I told you that the doctor had said this might happen and not to worry. In reality though, we, um, kind of ran out of syrup, and I had to steal some more."  
  
"And what happened then?"  
  
"Well, she caught me and she made me choose between my life and our first- born," Thomas said hurriedly, "so I chose what I thought was the lesser of two evil. We could always have more children, right?"  
  
Sara sat quietly pondering the story Thomas had just given her. It's not that the fact he had stolen, that bothered her. In fact she had quite suspected he had stolen it, but she had never asked and he had never volunteered the information before. He had saved her life, so she really couldn't be too mad, and he was right, they could always have more children.  
  
"Do you think she would come after us if we left before the child was born?", Sara finally asked.  
  
"I think she would, she was quite insistent about it, even though she wouldn't tell me why. I believe the only thing we could do is to give it over to her. If we don't, she very well could bring us to court, and while it would be her word against mine, she generates more fear in the town then we do, so she would most likely win."  
  
"I guess your right", Sara resigned, "at least we could always have more children."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
To shorten a long story, roughly nine months later their child was born. It was a beautiful baby boy, who they named Thomas Fredrick Jr., and his parents set out no announcements hoping that the witch wouldn't find out, or if she did that she had forgotten. Unfortunately as soon as little Fredrick was weaned, a knock came on the door.  
  
"Thomas dear, will you please answer the door?", called Sara, "Fredrick needs to be changed.  
  
Thomas opened the door, only to find the witch.  
  
"Sa, sa, sa, Sara", Thomas stuttered, "you may want to come here."  
  
"What's wrong-"  
  
Sara stopped as soon as she saw who was at the door.  
  
"Oh please don't take Fredrick", she began again, "anything else that we might be able to do for you or give you, but please let us keep our Fredrick."  
  
"Sorry", said the witch, "no deal, I need that child."  
  
Thomas and Sara begged and pleaded for over an hour, but the witch stood firm. She only wanted the child. And in the end, the witch was the one who won. She took the child and went off, never to be seen in that town or anywhere near it ever again.  
  
  
  
A Reflection on Reviews  
  
Reviews are oh, so nice Reviews are oh, so fine They are simple to give I'd love a review anytime  
  
I love you on, keep reviewing and I'll keep writing. The higher the number of reviews, the happier I'll be and the quicker I'll try to get the next chapter up. Feel free to e-mail with any suggestions or whatever, I'll answer your questions and or comments, or anything else I can do for you. Your Talented Author- -PUNZELS 


	3. Chapter Three

I just want to warn everyone that since I start school on Monday updates on the story are going to take a little more time. I'm not sure how much longer, must likely one chapter every two weeks, but we'll have to see. Love to all of you--me  
  
  
  
_Chapter 3: In which we discover more about the witch_  
  
"Hags and harlots, wenches and warlocks, witches and wizards, ghosts and goblins this meeting of the Nefarious Villains Association will now come to order. The first order of business is dues, is anyone behind in payment Tabitha?"  
  
"No ma'am"  
  
"Very well then, next item on the list is the banquet coming up next month honoring Weird Sisters, for which we turn to the head, Samantha. Samantha, is everything on track, no problems?"  
  
"Everything's going great. And it would go better if my mother would stop getting involve."  
  
"Andorra, leave your daughter to plan the banquet, she's very talent and I need you for other tasks. I need you to organize the committee for the search of new members for next year. Jeanie, I going to need you to plan the Genie Convention coming up this winter. Now we proceed to the next order of business, new members for this year. This year's committee, please come forward to judge our applicants."  
  
"Devilsin, Pandora, come forward. What have you done to be a part of our elite association?"  
  
"Well sir, my neighbor's wife was sick and the doctor told them that only a syrup made from the rapiun plant could save her and he stole it from my garden. When he was about to leave I stopped him and made him choose between his life and their first-born child. He promised me their child, so today I come before the council as a proud owner of my neighbor's child."  
  
"And what do you plan to do with this child now?"  
  
"Lock him up in a tower, somewhere in a deep, dark forest and never let him see civilization."  
  
"You may sit back down. Badenkohff, Rocky, step forward."  
  
Our witch sat down in her seat, nervous but relieved. In her mind, she had done well. She had purposely left out the part about not catching him the first time because it would make her look bad. She could have said she let him get away with it the first time to lull him into a false sense of security, but then the council would have wanted proof that she knew he was going to have to come back again, and sadly she didn't have any. So she stuck with the story the way she told the council. Although they reviewed all the candidates today, she wouldn't find out for another week whether or no she made it. So she sat back in her seat, trying to think of what to do with her kid now, because surely if she became a member the council would want to know. Her child, just the thought of it sent a thrill through her, knowing she had accomplished it.  
  
"Wait, I need a name for the kid. Name, name let's see here Tommy, Jack, Bill; no all those are too common for my child. Okay, an unusual name, unusual names Rumplestitlsken, Claude Billy Bunion, nah. Aha, I've got it, Rapunzel, after my favorite plant, the rapiun.", she pondered, "Now where to put him exactly, hmm. I've got it! There's that old, run-down abandoned castle in the Lost Forest of Darkness. I'll bet there still has to one or two towers still standing that I can store Rapunzel in. Now all I have to do is wait for this meeting to end, especially with that baby- sitter costing so much."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
So for the next seventeen years of his life, Rapunzel grew up with the witch being the only other person he knew. He knew of no other life and no other people besides the witch, who as far as he was concerned was his mother. He grew up alone for the most part, because the witch didn't care for him, so he spent his time meditating, and became quite the scholar. The witch kept busy in the NVA, trying to insure her unsteady position. The witch's position was weak, solely on the fact that she often wasn't together enough to pull off the type of schemes the NVA was famous for. So Rapunzel's life was very staid, until he met another person.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Dum, di, dum, dum, duumm! Oooh, an exciting end to this chapter, don't you think. I have an idea, why dn't you review and tell me what you think of this chapter. 


	4. Chapter Four

Hey all you dedicated reviewers, I just wanted to thank all of you guys; you've been great so far. I also want to apologize for taking so long in getting this next chapter up. I'm back in school now though, (yuck!), so we'll have to see. Enjoy, 'cause I love you all.  
  
  
  
Chapter 4: In which we meet the princess  
  
We leave Rapunzel, for a while we go to a castle still in use. Here we shall find the royal family, King Sebastian, Queen Aurora, and of course Princess Fredrica Rose. Frederica Rose was raised with all the privileges and splendors of a rich family. On her parents' insistence she took lessons in embroidering, dancing, singing and many other boring things a proper young princess should know. Unfortunately Rose was a big disappointment to her parents, she hated the princess lessons and skipped out on them when she could. When she was four she got a couple of the local boys to teach how to wrestle and climb trees, but when her parents found out two years later they put a stop to it and begged her to behave. At age seven she got one of the stable boys to teach how to ride her horse astride, until her parents discovered that and put an end to it always. The same thing happened when she bullied the Royal Cook into teaching her how to cook, when the Head Librarian taught her Latin and Greek, when the Sword Master taught her how to fence, and the list went on and on. Frederica Rose would bully someone into giving her lessons that weren't dignified for a princess, and when her parents found out they'd put a stop to it, only to have Rose find yet another inappropriate subject to study. We enter on her latest venture that her parents have discovered: archery.  
  
"Frederica, we've told you time and time again that your, how do you phrase it, 'extra curricular activities to broaden your perspective of the world', I believe, just aren't appropriate for a princess of your stature!", said her father in exasperation, "When will you stop your exploits and start looking at the potential Princes of the surrounding countries?"  
  
Frederica just sighed.  
  
"Please Frederica, we only want what's best for you", pleaded her mother, "If not for us, then do it for yourself; don't you want to be married one day and be queen?"  
  
Frederica just sighed again.  
  
"Well if not for you, then for our country. Do you really want to have it go to your cousin Isabelle?", asked her mother, "Surely you don't want it to go to her, you've never even liked her."  
  
Frederica just sighed and clenched her teeth together.  
  
"What's wrong with your princess lessons?", asked her father, "Do you think you could handle more? We could add poetry or calligraphy if you want. Is there a subject we could replace for you? I'm more then willing to switch out, which is the one you hate the most? I think it's lineage history, if you'll attend your lessons I could replace it with sketching."  
  
Frederica just sighed once again, trying to keep her temper in check.  
  
"Frederica Rose, how dare you treat us with such impudence", scolded her mother, "We do our best to raise you in a manner befitting a princess of your stature, and what do you do, you spit it right back in our faces!"  
  
Frederica refrained from sighing. She knew at this point that anything she did would only have her father joining in and adding his two sense into the lecture, not that he wouldn't begin his own when her mother was done. She had learned when they got to this point just to let them go until they ran out of steam, then she could leave and go out riding.  
  
"I think it's come down to the worse", sighed Queen Aurora, "I don't see any other choice for you if you are going to be able to rule this country one day. It looks like we are going to have to send you to the Goodheart Abbey."  
  
Frederica awoke from her reverie.  
  
"What did you say?", asked Frederica in disbelief. "I said your father and I have come to the decision to send you to the Goodheart Abbey until you're one and twenty", repeated her mother.  
  
"And what if I refuse to go, or I lock myself in my room", challenged Frederica looking from her mother to her father, "or if I decide to leave and live in the village? How can you do this to me? I'd sooner kill myself, then submit to a life of boredom."  
  
"Please Frederica, darling", her father continued, "we do this in your best interest. If you don't learn to settle down soon, you'll never have the patience to rule this great country of ours."  
  
"Maybe I don't want to rule, did you ever think of that?", Frederica argued, "that's it, I can't deal with you two any more."  
  
Frederica stormed out of throne room and into the courtyard, ignoring the call of her parents. She strode to the castle barn, angry saddled her favorite horse, Shadow, and then rode out of the barn as fast as she could.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
And now a word from our author.  
  
My Favorite Quote, (this week at least)  
  
Your body cannot heal without play.  
  
Your mind cannot heal without laughter.  
  
Your soul cannot heal without joy.  
  
- C. R. Fenwick 


	5. Intermission

Hey Everyone,  
  
Sorry it's took me so long to get Chapter Four up, I'm gonna really try to get better at getting chapters up. As for now, if you want to give me an incentive to hurry up, get me more readers and reviewers. For the more people who read, the easier it is for me to come up with something to type. I do have something for you guys to vote of though, the ending. I want to know who believes that the Princess and Rapunzel should get married at the end and live happily ever after. And I want to know who believes they shouldn't get marry in the end, (they'll still live happily ever after as friends or something like that). For more information on exactly what I mean, e-mail me. Thanks for your input, I would be lost without your wonderful wisdom and insight guys. Peace out- -Punzels 


	6. Chapter Five

I would like to make a couple things clear before y'all start reading Chapter Five. Number one, reviews have been few and far apart, please, please have your friends R/R and come back again yourselves, pleeeaaassse. Number two, my little anonymous reviewer said something about me needing a disclaimer, anyone know why? If you do, please enlighten me. Number three, nobody has voted yet, does now one care how I end my story? That's about it, cept' maybe my lil' nonymous' reviewer can give me a name next time.  
  
  
  
_Chapter 5: In which we meet Frederica's second family_  
  
Frederica rode Shadow out of the castle courtyard, fast and hard. She rode through a small river, over fields, and around small villages, until she came to a small row of houses by the Forest of Darkness. She stopped in front of one of the houses, tethered her horse and went inside. At woman looked up at her in surprise.  
  
"Princess! To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?"  
  
"Please Belle, no princess, just Rose", replied Frederic, "where's Samuel and Jakob?"  
  
"Out in the field. Would you like a change of clothes Rose?"  
  
"That would be wonderful", replied Rose, "are they still in Samuel's room?"  
  
Belle nodded and Rose went to go change. When she returned she was dressed in the peasant garments of a lad's and her hair was done up and covered with a cap. She then strode out the back door towards the men working in the field straight ahead of her. She started running towards them as soon as she was in earshot.  
  
"Jakob, Samuel, how have you been?", she asked as she hugged them both.  
  
"Rosie, it's been a while", replied Jakob with a smile, "we were beginning to wonder if you had forgotten about us."  
  
"Yeah Freddie", echoed Samuel, "don't you love us anymore?"  
  
If you call me Freddie once more, Sam, you'll pay for it", threatened Rosie, "and you'll pay dearly"  
  
"I'll go out riding with you", replied Sam, completing ignoring her warning, "if you help us finish here by loading the wagon."  
  
Rose agreed and started caring the sheaves of wheat to the wagon. Near-by several other men were working, some working beside their sons, getting ready for market day. There were only about a dozen or so families who lived in this area. Although it produced amazing crops most people were too scared to venture near the Forest of Darkness for them. So the families that did reside there lived a peaceful, quiet existent. In order to procure any items they couldn't grow they went to town on market day, which was every week, three days after the Sabbath. The people here rarely ever saw the royal family, so therefore no one really knew what the princess looked like, and that is why Rosie felt comfortable using as a safe haven. Only Sam's family knew who she was, the rest of the small village assumed she was their cousin. She had met Sam when she tried to run away when she was eight. (More on that later).  
  
"All right Rosie, it looks like we are done here", Jakob finally said, "I'll pull the wagon up to the house and you and Sam can go riding"  
  
"Thanks, let's get Shadow and Rowland out of the barn and get out of here then"  
  
"Thanks Pa, we'll be back by dark."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Sorry for the chapter being so short, I have a bit of writer's block. I'm also real, real sorry y'all had to wait so long for chapter five, I'm gonna try to get better at this. Happy New Year! 


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